acoustic pickup - sweet spot?

Subject: RE: acoustic pickup - sweet spot?
From: mattkeen
Date: 27 Jul 09 - 05:55 AM

I think the Rare Earth pick ups are the most natural sounding of the pick up only solutions

I have a blender thingy by Highlander - mic and undersaddle - expensive and sounds ok.
If I were to do it now I would look at the DPA mini mic solution as shown here http://www.dpamicrophones.com/en/products.aspx?c=Item&category=118&item=24326

Subject: RE: acoustic pickup - sweet spot?
From: alex s
Date: 27 Jul 09 - 05:48 AM

thanks chaps - that's very helpful

Subject: RE: acoustic pickup - sweet spot?
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 26 Jul 09 - 02:38 PM

No holes to drill with the K&K either. The three pads are glued to the bridgeplate inside the guitar (or they can be fixed using double-sided tape, but superglue is best).

If you use a standard jack the endpin hole will need to be reamed out to suit, but an (expensive) alternative is the Tapastring Vintage Jack, which simply fits into the existing endpin hole and uses a smaller-diameter jack plug.

Re the feedback issue - I've personally had no problem when using mine in a 'solo' situation or with the band (3-piece 'folky'-type), but I hear from some Bluegrassers I know in the States that it can be a problem in highly-amplified bands. They seem to use 'Feedback-Buster' soundhole-blocking wotsits, which they tell me work pretty well.

Subject: RE: acoustic pickup - sweet spot?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 26 Jul 09 - 12:56 PM

I find Headway Snake very good, but it does need a hole drilled under one end of the saddle, and the usual enlarged endpin hole. But I don't know the Sweet Spot.

I-Beams do sound nice, but that feedback can be a major issue and if you try to eq it out you can finish up destroying the sound quality.

Subject: RE: acoustic pickup - sweet spot?
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 26 Jul 09 - 11:55 AM

K&K Pure Western Mini. Passive (no battery to faff around with, no extra weight), nothing under the saddle (it's an under-soundboard transducer, not an under-saddle transducer), no piezo 'quack'. Pure and 'natural' sound - the nearest to a real 'acoustic' sound I've heard.

The only drawback is that, like the Baggs, it's slightly more prone to feedback at high volumes than an under-sddle transducer, but that can be EQ'd out usually.

Subject: RE: acoustic pickup - sweet spot?
From: Will Fly
Date: 26 Jul 09 - 11:33 AM

I had a Fishman Ellipse system in my Martin XC1T - hybrid mic & piezo. It wasn't particularly reliable, so eventually I took it out and had it replaced with a Baggs iBeam. Very simple, powerful and reliable and gives a very "acoustic" sound - or as much as these things can.

No holes cut. The jack socket is in the end strap button, and the volume control is a disc that protrudes slightly under the soundhole.

Subject: RE: acoustic pickup - sweet spot?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 26 Jul 09 - 10:19 AM

What's that in English Alex ? I'm familiar with ' sweet spot ' but The Snake ???

Dave H

Subject: RE: acoustic pickup - sweet spot?
From: alex s
Date: 25 Jul 09 - 01:41 PM

Sorry, forgot to sign in............

Subject: acoustic pickup - sweet spot?
From: GUEST,alex s
Date: 25 Jul 09 - 01:40 PM

Have just bought a Martin 000M and am thinking of installing a pickup - any thoughts on the relative merits of the Sweet Spot versus the Snake? (I won't cut holes in a guitar which limits the options somewhat, and I've used Fishman Rare Earths in the past.)